US Proposes Nuclear Fuel Bank for Countries Facing Reactor Fuel Shortages

Nations suffering from a shortage of fuel for nuclear reactors could replenish depleted stockpiles from a nuclear bank that was proposed in a speech by US Special Representative for Nuclear Non-Proliferation Ambassador Adam Scheinman.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — "We are advancing new forms of civil nuclear cooperation, to include approval of a nuclear fuel bank to operate under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency," Scheinman said in a speech at a university in the US state of Nebraska on Friday.

"By making nuclear fuel available to states facing an interruption in supply, the fuel bank reduces the incentive states may have to pursue national enrichment or reprocessing programs," Scheinman noted.

He explained that reactor fuel is dual-use because it can be used to generate electricity or to power nuclear weapons.

Resolving reactor supply shortages will become necessary as nations continue to join international nuclear security regimes.

Fuel for a bank could be supplied by nations with long-established production facilities, such as the United States and Russia.